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Albania severs ties with Iran over cyberattack — PM

It is noted that an official note was sent to the Iranian embassy with a request for all diplomatic and other personnel to leave the territory of the country within 24 hours

MOSCOW, September 7. /TASS/. Albania decided to cut diplomatic ties with Iran, Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Wednesday.

"The Council of Ministers has decided with immediate effect to terminate diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran," the prime minister said in a statement published on the cabinet’s website.

An official note was sent to the Iranian embassy with a request for all diplomatic and other personnel to leave the territory of the country within 24 hours, the statement said.

Albania said the reason for the move was a cyberattack on the government’s computer systems that Tirana blamed on Tehran. Albanian officials said Iran is helping to fund a cyberterrorism group that carried out or helped to execute cyberattacks that also targeted Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Kuwait and Cyprus.

The prime minister said Albania had notified its allies, NATO member countries and other friendly nations and shared the evidence with them.

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